Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller stopped by Salem’s City Hall on Wednesday morning, July 27, for an interview on the topic of identity theft conducted by “Reality Radio with Rhonda” host Rhonda Green of WSLM radio. “Identity theft is the number one growing crime in the United States and in Indiana” Zoeller stated. Identity theft criminals are some of the most technologically proficient people in the country and many of these so called “phishers”are operating in well-organized crime rings these days. “It’s easier to rob someone with a computer than with a gun or a knife,” he explained.

Fund raiser for Salem’s Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion set for August 22

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Tuesday, 02 August 2011 00:00

A fund raiser benefiting the Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion will be held on Monday, August 22 at 6:30 pm at Christie’s on the Square in Salem. The cost of the “Girls Night Out” dinner ticket is $15.00. A speaker, games, donations, and silent auction items will also help raise money for this program, which had previously been available to men only in Salem. Besides the fund raising dinner, the pavilion also needs linens, toiletries, skin care and make up items, and personal hygiene items. The organizers are asking all persons attending the dinner to bring one item of the above with them to the dinner. But what exactly is the Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion? It’s for women who have already been released from prison after having been incarcerated for drugs and/or alcohol. Homeless people are also welcome in the facility. It is not rehab or detox, though. It is a discipleship program that is peer to peer. A lot of the people staffing both the men’s and women’s pavilions have been through the prison system for substance abuse, and have been through the Good Samaritan program. The program typically takes six months to complete successfully. The Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion helps women get jobs as they transition into the community, and they act mainly as facilitators in the transition. They have a very structured environment which is governed by a strict set of rules, such as a set bedtime, no cable television, and no video games. All participants are screened for drugs, and are administered breathalyzer tests. There is a zero tolerance policy in place. Since the program is so very strongly based on religion, the judicial system does not require participation in the program. The people entering the Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion would have decided to enter it, near the time they are leaving prison or detox/rehab. Pam Jones, who helps oversee the Women’s Pavilion, sees the importance of the community in the success of the facility. “It takes a whole community, and this community has been fantastic. I can’t thank them enough. We know we can’t do this by ourselves,” Jones said recently. “This is all about freedom.” The two Good Samaritan Inns are trying to spend more time working in the community, doing service jobs and cleaning churches. At the present, the Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion is relying solely on donations from area churches, but they are doing church clean ups to give the churches a value added service. Three women who have been going through the Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion program praised it for its effectiveness. Karla Beach said she found Christ while in prison, and she thinks having the support system in place while you are trying to adjust to the community after being released from prison. “That gives them a place to go to,” Beach said. Jessica Goen said she had been in eight rehabs, all secular in nature, and she said that they all were failures with regards to their success with her. In 10 months at Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion, Goen said that she has successfully graduated from the basic program, to go to the next level, and has overcome a heroin and meth. Tabby Applegate was homeless, jobless, and a drug addict when she came to the Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion. “A lot of where I got hope was through this facility,” Applegate explained. She said that without a Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion to go to, “I’d probably be out there, dead.” The Good Samaritan Inn-Women’s Pavilion is at 1406 East Hackberry Street, and for information on purchasing tickets for the fundraiser at Christie’s on the Square, contact the restaurant at 812-883-9757, and ask for Robin.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 August 2011 07:44

Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway

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Tuesday, 02 August 2011 00:00

As the Xtreme Sprint Series prepares to take on the challenging high-banks of Salem Speedway on Saturday, August 6, it becomes a weekend that is more than just another race for competitors, officials, and fans. The 52nd annual “Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial” is all about honoring the memories of two great racers and their families.